Author
Topic: Parallel Keeper (Read 6070 times)

I seem to easily blow my stack when the parallels fall over in my vice and have used all kinds of keepers in the past. I have found some tiny magnetic keepers that seem to do a great job because they are magnetic. They stick where you put them in the vise and grab the parallels and hold them in place. They are pretty inexpensive too, and their bright red color makes them easy to find even though they are tiny. They are kinda cute, too.They are called Magkeepers.com. and I got them from EBay for $15.00 for 4.Mosey

A piece of low density foam rubber might work pretty well. Otherwise a couple of springs might do the trick. And maybe a bit of double sided adhesive tape could keep the parallels positioned on the opposing jaws.

I agree that magnets might get covered with swarf and be a nuisance to clean.

Since my vises are 1", 2", and the big one is 3" those spring loaded keepers are in the way and don't really work all that well. Tiny mags for me.What works for you is fine with me. Just sayin...Marv, you aren't going with the digital.Mosey

Each to there own methods and there's been multiple designs I've seen as parallel keepers. But I'm with how Marv does it. A few drops of oil or little daub of grease sucks the parallels tight to each jaw face real well as long as the jaw faces and parallels are flat and smooth. But that's required anyways. No chance of chips getting under or behind them either if there stuck down properly. And I've yet to have a chip brush move them in the slightest. Those old school machinists knew how to get the best out of what they had.

I just set my parallels in place and they stay there. However, I was looking at machining sites (somewhere) today, and seen a vice with parallels held in place with rubber bands, which I thought was rather novel.

However, I was looking at machining sites (somewhere) today, and seen a vice with parallels held in place with rubber bands, which I thought was rather novel.

I did that. It can work but I found it a bit iffy. My rubber bands were a bit tight and during machining they would suddenly let go (i.e. break) and go flying.Scares you for two reasons...1) you see something flying by and wonder if it's a bit of tooling or part and 2) the parallel moves at the wrong time into the wrong place. I think a bit tight. Would have probably been okay if they'd had less force.

Hi Guys & Girls, I was watching a You tube video the other day. The guys solution to this problem....... use a couple of rubber bands one for each jaw! Stagger the bands & you can get almost to the thickness on the bands